Iran has ‘bloody day’ amid wave of protests and internet blackout

Protests in Iran leave more dead Human rights organizations accused Iran’s security forces on Thursday (8) of shooting at protesters, amid reports of dozens of deaths in several regions of the country. ✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp The human rights NGO Iran Human Rights (IHR), based in Norway, stated that security forces have already killed at least 45 protesters, including eight minors. According to the organization, Wednesday (7) was the bloodiest day since the protests began, with 13 confirmed deaths. The demonstrations began last month, with protests in the capital, Tehran, against the serious economic problems faced by the population and the strong devaluation of the national currency, the rial. The crisis has worsened after years of international sanctions, while the country is still recovering from the war with Israel in June. “Evidence shows that the repression becomes more violent and more pervasive every day,” said Iran Human Rights director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, adding that hundreds of people were injured and more than 2,000 were arrested. “The UN and the international community have a responsibility to act decisively, within the framework of international law, to prevent the mass murder of protesters,” he said. The movement originated from the closure of a popular market in Tehran on December 28, after the rial plummeted to historic lows. Since then, the protests have spread across the country and turned into large-scale demonstrations that question the legitimacy of the Islamic government. With the acts spreading across Iran, the independent news agency Human Rights Activists News Agency (Hrana), based in the United States, reported that demonstrations were recorded in 348 locations in Iran’s 31 provinces. Images verified by the AFP news agency and shared on social media showed a large concentration of protesters on Ayatollah Kashani Boulevard, an important avenue in the northwest of the Iranian capital. Shops and bazaars were closed in Tabriz, in the northwest of the country, and in the city of Bandar Abbas, an important center for the oil industry, according to videos released by NGOs and activists on social media. The protests are the biggest in Iran since the major demonstrations that took place between 2022 and 2023, triggered by the death of young Mahsa Amini in police custody. She had been arrested for allegedly violating the dress code imposed on women. MORE Hrana published images that, according to the agency, show security forces firing firearms at protesters in the city of Kermanshah. Human rights groups have also accused authorities of resorting to tactics such as storming hospitals to detain injured protesters. “Iranian security forces have injured and killed both protesters and civilians,” warned the NGO Amnesty International, accusing authorities of using “illegal force.” On Wednesday (7), an Iranian police officer was stabbed to death west of Tehran “during efforts to control the unrest”, reported the Fars news agency, close to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. Trump threatens to ‘hit hard’ Iran Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian Iran presidential website/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Disclosure via REUTERS Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian ordered on Wednesday that security forces differentiate between protesters motivated by the economic situation and “rioters” who, according to him, act against national security. He called for maximum restraint and stated that “any violent or coercive behavior must be avoided.” Government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani called the protesters “our children” and defended dialogue. Less conciliatory, the head of the Iranian Judiciary, Gholamhosein Mohseni Ejei, stated that “there will be no clemency for anyone who helps the enemy against the Islamic Republic” and accused the United States and Israel of trying to destabilize the country. United States President Donald Trump threatened this Thursday to take drastic measures against Iran if the country’s authorities “start killing people”, warning that Washington “will hit them very hard”. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul condemned the “excessive use of force” against protesters. ‘National internet blackout’ Monitoring organization Netblocks said on Thursday that “real-time data shows that Iran is in the midst of a nationwide internet blackout.” Data from the company Cloudflare indicated a drop of around 90% in internet traffic on Thursday night. Limited access appeared to remain available only to parts of the government and security apparatus. With internet access severely restricted, little information can leave the country. Similar blackouts were also recorded during the 2022 and 2023 protests. Reza Pahlavi, son of the shah deposed by the 1979 Islamic Revolution and one of the main opposition figures in exile, called for large-scale protests for this Thursday. Before the blackout, he warned that authorities could cut off internet access to prevent the spread of information. VIDEOS: most watched on g1

Source link